2015 - Division 1 Discussion Thread

[LondonTiger]

First topic message reminder :

As pretty much every poster that follows County Cricket seems to be a Surrey fan I am sure the Division 2 discussions will be livelier.

Hopefully there are some followers of other counties to write a little bit about their team, but as a Yorkshire member it is them I shall concentrate on.

The start of the season will be an interesting one for us. Andrew Gale will miss the first fixture at Worcester as he completes his ban. Meanwhile the first 3 CC fixtures coincide with Englands tour of the WI meaning some unfamiliar faces will be featuring against Worcester, Notts and  the first home fixture against Warwickshire. With the County unlikely to see a great deal of Root and Ballance it is nor surprise that ewe have chosen to go down the batsman route as our overseas player - Aaron Finch returns as the main player, with Younus Khan deputising at the start of the season and Kane Williamson at the end. Glenn Maxwell makes up a quality group of players, joining for the T20s.


Squad:

Batsmen: Lyth, Lees, Gale (cpt), Finch (see above), Leaning, Root, Ballance
Keepers: Bairstow, Hodd
All Rounders: Rashid, Bresnan, Rhodes, Pyrah
Seamers: Plunkett, Brooks, Sidebottom, Patterson, Ashraf, Coad, Fisher
Spinners: Carver


Likely team for first match, away to Worcestershire:

Hodd, Lees, Leaning, Younus, Rhodes, Bresnan, Pyrah, Patterson, Sidebottom, Brooks, Carver.

Compared to the side likely to finish the season against Susses (injuries permitting):

Lyth, Lees, Williamson, Root, Ballance, Bairstow, Rashid, Bresnan, Plunkett, Sidebottom, Brooks.

[LondonTiger]

Yet another stunning century from JonnyB rescued, along with support from skipper Gale, us from a tricky position.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Highly likely that Yorks will get full batting points and continue their march towards the title.

[JDizzle]

Decent time for Jimmy T to find some form with Ballance/Bell struggling. 163* overnight.

[LondonTiger]

Decent time for Jimmy T to find some form with Ballance/Bell struggling. 163* overnight.

Indeed. Notches up his first hundred of the season - but would he bat first wicket down?

[king_carlos]

Decent time for Jimmy T to find some form with Ballance/Bell struggling. 163* overnight.

Indeed. Notches up his first hundred of the season - but would he bat first wicket down?

He's moved onto 280* now as well. Not bad timing from the little guy.

He bats 4 for Notts at the moment. I thought that was due to Notts having 3 openers in their first choice XI with Brendan Taylor, Hales and Lumb usually making up their top 3. With Lumb not playing in their current game against Sussex I would have expected Taylor to move up to 3 but Mullaney batted there instead. I'm not sure if that was due to Notts wanting to keep Taylor where he was to find form, or because they don't feel he is a guy to come in at first drop.

He has played 3 in the past however and if we want a guy who doesn't need a while to get his feet moving like Ballance does then he could be our man. His footwork tends to be sound and he has the ability to dig in or play his shots. As a little fella at 5'6'' he is also equally adept on the front and back foot unlike many of our players. Due to his stature he moves into position for each more quickly, naturally and nimbly as well which could aid him against the Aussie quicks.

It would be a VERY harsh call if changes are rung and Taylor got the call rather than Bairstow. However if the management wanted a new player at first drop to try to hopefully nullify the new ball a bit more and halt the collapses then he could be a reasonable bet.

After one innings that shows CC form, albeit an excellent one, it does feel like clutching at straws however.

[LondonTiger]

Start of the season (ie before his wasted trip to IPL) Hales batted at 3 behind Brendon Taylor and Mullaney. Since getting back into the team after the ODIs Hales has scored few runs, but has opened in the last two games. James Taylor has not batted above 4 all season I believe. It would be tough on the lad to be called up and asked to bat at 3.

[LivinginItaly]

Am i correct in thinking that in general when Taylor has batted for the lions he has played at 3?

[JDizzle]

Taylor certainly has opened for the Lions in the past. Made 70 odd vs SL there in 2011 (?) I think. There definitely seemed to be a school of thought in the England set-up that he was better at the top of the order than lower down. And, as we have seen with Ballance and Root when he first came in, your county batting position doesn't really effect where they pick and bat you.

Having said that, I doubt he will get called up. Looks like Bairstow is the next man up. And he definitely hasn't batted top 3 in his career, so would require a reshuffle.

[jimbohammers]

Rushworth takes 6-39 in 22 overs. WheneveriI see Durham's results he always seems to take wickets, how come he's never been mentioned for England?

[NickisBHAFC]

Words fail me how bad Sussex did today. 

Division 2 soon.

[LondonTiger]

Rushworth takes 6-39 in 22 overs. WheneveriI see Durham's results he always seems to take wickets, how come he's never been mentioned for England?

His numbers look good, though seeing him live against us he looked average. Batting in D1 is shockingly bad so far this season and pitches have been really seam friendly. Rushworth bowls line and length at just under 80mph, nibbling it both ways. That has seemed to be too much for many D1 batters.

[JDizzle]

I think Rushworth is in a similar boat to Masters/Magoffin and a few others... The perfect county bowler, but lacking that something extra to be an England international. Durham's gain though!

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

Saw an article on cricinfo where bayliss was criticising/pointing out the differences between wickets prepared for the county championship and international games, and how the county championship ones are so different to international ones.

They of course have every right to be, but someone like Rishworth will more often than not play on wickets that have a lot of nibble about them, which you don't see so often in the international game.

Think that'dbe quite a big factor in his omission

[LondonTiger]

There is also talk that there is a batch of duke balls in the county game at the moment that swing a lot more than last years did. could explain some of the early season batting woes.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Yorks duly beat Worcs and are pretty much out of sight from the chasing pack at the top of the table. 34 points ahead of Warks with a game in hand. Durham may well win against lowly Hants, and resume their position as the main challengers.

[jimbohammers]

 Durham may well win against lowly Hants, and resume their position as the main challengers.

Durham may well will win against lowly Hants, and resume their position as the main challengers.

Fixed for you Corp

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Looks like rain may just save Hants on this occasion.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Hants last wicket pair cling on for the draw   - though they really need a few wins to have any chance of escaping relegation.

[guildfordbat]

Looks like rain may just save Hants on this occasion.

With 9 down, McManus and rookie Crane batted out the last few overs to escape with a draw. Good debut for Crane with 5 match wickets.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Mason Crane - sounds as though he's come straight from a building site!

[jimbohammers]

Superb from the youngsters, McManus and Crane. Senior players need to step up these next few games though.

As Guildford says, good debut for Crane. High hopes for him at the club, he's highly thought of

[liverbnz]

Yorkshire ready to start their 2nd innings on Day 1 6 runs ahead of Durham. Is there any point in batsman any more?

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Wickets continue to fall at Scarborough. Yorks 73 - 4. At this rate the match will be over on Day 2.

Meanwhile in the battle to avoid relegation Worcs have fought back against Notts - that match could easily go either way, Sussex looking likely to take a good first innings lead against Middlesex. While Hants v Warks hasn't really taken much shape yet.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

A Maxwell/Rashid double hundred partnership.

My word the people of Scarborough have been treated to crickets version of porn today

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Yorks' remarkable recovery in this match showing why they will be worthy champions of Div 1.

Hants, stranded at foot of the table, had a rare good day against Warks.

[jimbohammers]

5-fer for 18 year old Mason Crane!

Top day for Hampshire, need to win some games...

[alfie]

This young chap , Crane , has had some pretty good performances at the start of his career !
Only 18 , and a leggie , I understand ?

Fast track to the Lions team ?

[Corporalhumblebucket]

5-fer for 18 year old Mason Crane!

Top day for Hampshire, need to win some games...

There was presumably only one possible sports headline for the Eastleigh Echo or the Fareham Foghorn; "Crane lifts Hampshire"

In other news - todays football result, Jimbob 0 Jimbo 2

[jimbohammers]

This young chap , Crane , has had some pretty good performances at the start of his career !  
Only 18 , and a leggie , I understand ?

Fast track to the Lions team ?

Yep, leggie and spins it a long way... Has a really good temperament too.
One to keep an eye on for sure

[jimbohammers]

Corp come on you irons....

[alfie]

This young chap , Crane , has had some pretty good performances at the start of his career !  
Only 18 , and a leggie , I understand ?

Fast track to the Lions team ?

Yep, leggie and spins it a long way... Has a really good temperament too.  
One to keep an eye on for sure

Good news then. Hope he is managed properly : would be great to see one of these young prodigies come through to the top...always a tricky business knowing just how quickly you bring them on ( still remember what happened to Schofield !)
Which is why I particularly note your comments on his temperament

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Jimbo - what is more surprising, a Hants win in the cc or Hammers winning away at Arsenal?

[Corporalhumblebucket]

The Div 1 table now looks a whole lot better for Hants. Both Worcs and Sussex managed to lose what had been reasonably even/well contested games. So with four games to go for the bottom three sides it's now looking like this:

112 Worcs
110 Sussex
107 Hants

[jimbohammers]

Jimbo - what is more surprising, a Hants win in the cc or Hammers winning away at Arsenal?  

Ohh that's a tough one

[LondonTiger]

Early wicket for Olly Robinson, Paul Farbrace's stepson, against the side that sacked him for disciplinary reasons last season.

[LondonTiger]

And Sussex gain their second wicket through Chris Jordan. Looks like Yorkshire will again bee needing runs from the all-rounders

[Corporalhumblebucket]

I am taking it as pretty much read that Yorks will find their way out of a sticky position in  a cc match.  They always seem to manage it somehow.

Middlesex aren't having much joy against Durham.  Already 3 wickets down.

[LondonTiger]

50 100 up for Alex Hales as he seeks to put a marker down for the UAE series.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Relegation watch.  Sussex have Yorks at 125 - 3 (2 wickets for Sir Chris Jordan).  Worcs have got Somerset at 129 - 2.  Unbeaten half century from Trescothick.  Hants not playing.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Hales 118* and has just hit Trott for three 4s in a row.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Notts 311 - 1 at tea. Warks will probably wish they hadn't put them into bat after winning the toss.  So far Hales and Mullaney have put on 250, at almost 5 runs an over.

Yorks 227 - 5 at tea.  Ballance on 49. Still fair amount of batting to come.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Sir Chris Jordan just needed four attempts to bowl the first ball of his over - wide, wide, 3 no balls.  That's more like the form we Surrey posters fondly remember from his days at Surrey.

PS He then follows up with another no ball later in same over, but then immediately dismisses Rashid....  Yorks 252 - 6.

[LondonTiger]

Hales out for 189.

Ballance pushing on towards what would be his first ton since WI.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Yorks 346 - 6.  Typical performance, with unbroken 7th wicket partnership of 94 recovering Yorks from a rather modest start and taking them towards a position of considerable strength.  Meanwhile, on rain affected day 2nd place Middlesex could only reach 141 - 5 against Durham.  All looking good for Yorks.

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Yorks just fail to get a 5th batting point - 393 -6 after 110 overs.  I doubt they will worry too much as they continue to build, and presumably aim to bat only once.  In the relegation stakes Sussex manage two bowling points against Yorks, while Worcs manage just one, against Somerset.

[LondonTiger]

yeah, 400 came up in the 111th over

Ballance pushing on for a daddy hundred, TimTom past 50 and looking for his 3rd CC ton of the season

[Gregers]

What a batting performance, where has that been for the rest of the season?

[Corporalhumblebucket]

Middlesex give themselves a sniff of a chance of catching Yorks as they beat Durham while Yorks draw with Sussex.  However, it's still very much a long shot:

Yorks 219 points 4 matches to play
Middlesex 189 points 3 matches to play.

Meanwhile, with both Worcs and Sussex drawing, Hants could leapfrog both and out of the relegation zone - IF they win their game in hand.

[LondonTiger]

Poor bowling from Yorkshire seamers, and very poor slip catching. However all credit to Sussex batsmen - 3 tons in one innings is pretty impressive.

In the end rain was the winner.

[LondonTiger]

Wickets galore in D1. Having put Somerset in Yorkshire have them 3 4 down, while Durham and Worcester are both 2 down having chosen to bat.

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